Sanitary telephone-mouthpiece.



J. B. OHARA. SANITARY TELEPHONE MOUTH PIECE. 1910.

Y Patented Apr. 18, 1911.

1n: u omzls PETERS cov, wasumamu, n. c.

JOHN B. OHABA, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

SANITARY TELEPHONE-MOUTHPIEGE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 18, 1911.

Application filed April 2, 1910. Serial No. 553,038.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, JOHN B. OHARA, citizen of the United States,residing at Philadelphia, in the county of Philadelphia and State ofPennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inSanitary Telephone-Mouthpieces, of which the following is aspecification.

This invention relates to mouthpieces for telephone transmitters and hasfor its object to provide a mouthpiece, the construction of which issuch as efiectu-ally to prevent the entrance of dust or germs to theinterior thereof and thus render the mouthpiece thoroughly sanitary.

A further object is to provide a mouthpiece having a cap or closurepivotally mounted thereon and adapted to contain a disinfectant.

A further object is to provide means for supporting the cap in openposition when using the transmitter, and means for preventing accidentaldisplacement of said cap when in closed position.

A still further object of the invention is generally to improve thisclass of devices so as to increase their utility, durability andefliciency, as well as to reduce the cost of manufacture.

Further objects and advantages will appear in the following description,it being understood that various changes in form, proportions and minordetails of construction may be resorted to within the scope of theappended claims.

For a full understanding of the invention and the merits thereof,reference is to be had to the following description and accompanyingdrawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a telephone provided with a sanitarymouthpiece constructed in accordance with my invention; Fig. 2 is avertical sectional view of the mouthpiece detached, showing the cap inopen position; Fig. 3 is a detail vertical sectional view, showing thecap in closed position.

Corresponding and like parts are referred to in the followingdescription and indicated in all the views of the drawings by the samereference characters.

The disinfectant appliance forming the subject matter of the presentinvention is principally designed for use in connection with telephonesand by way of illustration is shown applied to an ordinary desktelespring clip 24: adapted phone in which 5 designates the supportingbase, 6 the standard, and 7 the mouthpiece. The mouthpiece 7 may beformed of guttapercha, metal or other suitable material and ispreferably provided at its outer or flared end with a laterallyextending flange 9 hav ing a flat bearing surface 10 to which is secureda supporting bracket 11. One end of the supporting bracket 11 isprovided with a laterally extending lug 12 having a perforation formedtherein for the reception of a screw or similar fastening device 13,which latter engages the flange 9 and serves to support the bracket inposition thereon.

Pivotally mounted at 14 on the outer end of the bracket, is a cap 15which forms a closure for the mouthpiece and is provided with a chamber16 adapted to retain a disinfectant. Disposed within the cap 15 is aperforated cup 17 which fits within the chamber 16 and serves to preventaccidental displacement of the disinfectant.

Interposed between the side walls 18 of the cup and the interior wallsof the cap 15, is a gasket 19, preferably formed of rubber or otheryieldable material and having one end thereof provided with a laterallyextending flange 20 which bears against the adjacent end of the cap 15and the flat bearing surface 10 of the reinforcing flange 9 so as toform a tight joint between the cap and flange 9 and thus effectuallyprevent the entrance of dust or germs to the interior of the mouthpiece.

The cup 17 is retained within the cap by means of a bolt or similarfastening device 21, which latter pierces the concavo-convex face of thecap and is provided with a head 22. Interposed between the head 22 andthe convex face of the cap 15, is a hook 28 which forms a finger pieceby means of which the cap may be moved to open position when it isdesired to use the transmitter.

Fastened to one side of the flange 9 is a to frictionally engage theexterior wall of the cap 15 for holding said cap in closed position.Attention is here called to the fact that the flange 9 forms a supportor rest for the cap 15 when in open position, while the clip 2 serves toprevent accidental displacement of the cap when in closed position. Itwill also be noted that the bolt 21 serves the dual function of holdingthe cup 17 within the cap 15 and as a fastening device for the fingerpiece 23.

lVhen it is desired to use the telephone, the operator grasps the fingerpiece 23 and tilts the cap 15 on its pivotal axis 1d until the convexface of the cap rests on the flange 9, and in which position themouthpiece may be used in the ordinary manner. When the telephone is notin use, the cap 15 is swung downwardly in engagement with the bearingface 10 of the flange and in which position it will be held by thespring clip 24.

It will here be noted that the flange 20 of the gasket 19 not onlyserves to prevent the entrance of dust and germs to the interior of themouthpiece, but also forms in effect a cushion for the mouthpiece so asto prevent injury to bot-h the mouthpiece and cap when the latter isclosed.

' While the device is shown in connection with the mouthpiece of atransmitter, it will of course be understood that the same may be usedwith equally good results on the mouthpieces of speaking tubes, trumpetsor wherever a device of this character is found practicable ordesirable.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new is:

l. The combination with a mouth piece, a cap for the mouth piece, a cupdisposed within the cap and designed to receive a disinfectant, and agasket interposed between the cup and the interior of the cap, one edgeof the gasket also serving to engage the mouth piece when the cap isapplied thereto. 2. The combination with a mouth piece, a cap adapted tobe applied to the mouth piece and formed with a chamber, an inverted cuparranged within the chamber of the cap and adapted to contain adisinfectant, a fastening member extending through the bottom of the cupand the cap, and a finger piece applied to the exterior of the cap andheld in position by the fastening member.

3. The combination of a mouth piece, a bracket projecting from one sideof the mouth piece, a cap hinged upon the bracket and adapted to beswung over the mouth piece, an inverted cup arranged within the cap andadapted to receive a disinfectant, a finger piece upon the exterior ofthe cap, a fastening member extending through the bottom of the cup andthe cap and also engaging the finger piece so as to hold both the fingerpiece and cup in position, and a spring arm applied to the opposite sideof the mouth piece from the bracket for holding the cap over the mouthpiece when the latter is not in use.

-l. The combination of a mouth piece, a cap formed with an interiorchamber and adapted to be applied to the mouth piece, a disinfectantreceiving member arranged within the interior chamber of the cap, and ayieldable gasket interposed between the said disinfectant receivingmember and the cap, one edge of the gasket being designed to engage themouth piece when the cap is in position thereon.

5. The combination with a mouthpiece having a flange provided with aflat bearing surface, of a cap mounted on the mouthpiece and adapted tocontain a disinfectant, a perforated cup disposed within the cap, ayieldable gasket interposed between the cup and interior wall of the capand provided with a laterally extending flange projecting across theedge of the cap for contact with the flat bearing surface of the flangeof the mouthpiece, and means for retaining the cap in position on saidmouthpiece.

6. The combination with a mouthpiece having a flange provided with aflat bearing surface, of a bracket secured to the flange, aconcavo-convex cap pivotally mounted on the bracket and adapted tocontain a disinfectant, a perforated cup disposed within the cap, ayieldable gasket interposed between the cup and interior wall of the capand having a flange adapted to engage the flat bearing surface of theflange of the mouthpiece, a fastening device extending through the cupand cap, respectively, and provided with a head, a finger pieceinterposed between the head of the fastening device and theconcavo-convex face of the cap, and a clip secured to the flange of themouthpiece and adapted to engage the cap for holding the latter inclosed position, the flange of the mouthpiece forming a support for thecap when in open position.

In testimony whereof, I affix my signa ture in presence of twowitnesses.

JOHN B. OI-IARA. [L.S.]

Vitnesses WM. F. BOYD, CLARA K. BOYD,

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. C.

